Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-12
ADOPTED IN coNoURRENoE.

acted i'm Concurrence.
 Hardly had the City Hall clock chimed out o'clock last evening when President Kleiner rapped the board of councilmen to order, There were several vacant seats in the coun- cil chamber. Half dozen aldermen as well as many citizens occupied the spectators seats.
 Councilman Stevens made motion to take up the board of finance report before the routine business was transacted.
 Councilman Fuller thought it would be un- fair to several absent members to deviate from the general rule.
 Councilman Kent thought that the Derby report couldn't get proper consideration if acted on last night and he made substitute motion to make the various reports from the finance committee on the Derby the special order for Wednesday evening next Coun- cilman Warren thought the members of the council had had sufficient time to prepare themselves to vote properly. Councilman Kent withdrew his motion to postpone and Councilman Stevens motion was carried. The board on motion of Councilman Warren first took up the favorable report on the sale of the Derby to MT. William H. Starbuck.
 President Kleiner, desiring to take the floor on the matter. requested one after another several members of the board to take the chair, but they all gave sundry reasons why they desired to be excused, and for the time being President Kleiner remained as presid ing officer.
 Clerk Shanley then read the report favor ing the sale to Millionaire Starbuck.
 Councilman Baldwin moved to concur with the board of aldermen.
 Councilman Coe offered the following as substitute amendment:
 Ordered, That the finance committees re- port concerning the proposed sale of the city s interest in the New Haven and Derby rail road be accepted, and that the said committee be and hereby is directed to advertise in three (3) daily newspapers published in the city of New Haven for bids for the city's interest in said railroad, said bids to be con- ditioned on the guarantees embodied in the report of the finance committee relative to the offer of Wm. H. Starbuck; that no bids for 0 less amount than that already offered by said Starbuck shall be considered; that no bids shall be received later than the tenth Q0th) day of September, 1887, and that the interest of the city of New Haven in said Derby railroad shall be sold to the party of- fering the highest amount therefor under the aforesaid conditions, provided said finance committee is satisfied of the responsibility of the party making such offer. And it is fur ther
 Ordered, That His Honor the Mayor of New Haven is hereby authorized and in- structed to execute in the name and for the city such contract of sale as is cont emplated by this order after it's approval by the Court of Common Council.
 Councilman Coe spoke in support of his amendment. He believed the acceptance of MT. Starbuck's offer was in direct violation of the charter of the State. The offer of Mr. Starbuck was substituted for that of the Housatonic Valley company, and as is we'll known, the Housatonic parties withdrew in the interest of MT. Starbuck.
 Councilman Moran spoke for the report and board of finance. He said the board of finance was of the opinion that the question of money was not the only thing to be con sidered. The question is not whether the Consolidated road is to be benefited, it is that the city of New Haven should be benefited. The committee has always kept in mind the fact that an independent road should be run into the city, and if our report is accept ed we shall have one. We are not donating any money to any road or any person, but are getting our moneys worth.
 Councilman Warren-If the board of finance have not gone into the merits and de- merits no one has. And think the report ought to be adopted without any amend ments whatever. If it is worth being adopt ed at all it should be adopted as it comes from the finance committee.
 Councilman Fuller-I advocate the substi- tute amendment. But I do not think the city of New Haven should sell the road at all. I do not think the city has power to sell it and the charter will bear me out. The property is worth three times as much as MT. Starbuck offers to give The right of way alone is worth three times as much as Mir. Starbuck's offer. It looks to me that it is taking away what belongs to the people and giving it to a personal party. There is nothing right or honorable in the proposed sale.
 The vote was taken on the amendment and it was lost but few voices being heard to vote in the affirmative.
 Councilman Kent-I am ill favor of voting to concur with the board of aldermen. I think we are here not in the interests of this railroad or that railroad, but in the interests of the people whom we represent I think the board of finance have done well and that they have looked into the details and protected the city in the proposed sale. It seems to me that we ought to have compet- ing line both by land and by water, and this we shall have if we accept the report selling the road to Mir. Starbuck. I stood here three years ago and stood up in this council chamber and by our votes saved the city $150,000. stand here tonight and favor the sale on the same prin- ciples as voted then-because believe it will be for the best interests of the city.
 Councilman Fuller was requested to take the chair by President K1einer and he accept ed.
 President Kleiner-I am perfectly willing to give the board of finance their due, they have worked hard, faithfully and diligently and undoubtedly have done all they could to further the city's interests. Nevertheless I must oppose their report selling to MT. Star buck. say is it not insanity, is it not idiocy, to offer all this valuable property for the small amount in comparison offered by Mir. NF this road for ito extend it? Who does he represent i've don't know. We've been told he represents the Housatonic and the New England. How do we know but he represents the Consolidated? How do we know that he don'ts MT. Starbuck wants the Derby for speculation, pure and simple. Why is MT. 0. s. Bushnell in this? He is interested in the matter with MT. Starbuek. He is in for money the same as his friend. MT. O. s. Bushnell is the same man to-day as he was years ago when connected with the Credit Mobilier affair. Self-preser- vation is the first law of nature, is the rule that these men are going to follow. The Derby road is in better condition than ever. During the past nine months the pas senger traffic has increased to the amount of 299, ,175 over the nine months of last year, and all this at decrease of twenty per cent. in the passenger charges. l say the Derby is Tn condition to-day that IL dOn'G cost the city anything. Can you buy the right of way from West river into the heart of the city for $s75, ,O00! No, you cant'l You couldn't get the right of way from West riv- CT into the vicinity of the Derby depot for cent less than $5O0,0O0. You have a termi- nal worth over half million. say it's ab- surd to sell for the price named Let us look at the contract. Can you find anything in it that would serve as a pre- ventive to MT. Starbuck selling out to the Consolidated road? You say you want a competing line. Well, agree with you, but you're not going to get one. There is no clause in this contract that will prevent MT. Starbuck from reselling the Derby moment after he gets it from the trustees. We want a competing line, but we're not going the right way to get it. Unless there is clause inserted in this contract preventing MT. Star buck from selling to the Consolidated shall not vote for the acceptance of the report and it ought not to get yours. You ask me to join in conspiracy to cheat, to rob the city of New Haven in the interest of MT. Wil- liam H. Starbuck. This is just what it is, conspiracy to rob and to cheat. I can't consistently do this and I don't think